Chamber Outing Still Generating Fun, Funds

The Willard Area Chamber of Commerce golf scramble always provides plenty of opportunities for its participants to make a splash.

Maybe no more evident than in this year's tourney.

But the wet terrain from the excessive rainfall was not enough to put a damper on the tournament play, as a total of 14 teams took to the course at Willard Golf Club on Wednesday, in the Chamber's annual scholarship scramble.

The true winners of the outing are the graduating college-bound seniors of Willard High School, who have annually been the recipients of over $3,000 worth of scholarships, funded by 100 percent of the net proceeds of the scramble.

On the course, the Dominos team of Josh Gerber, Cody Tanner, Earl Tanner and Jerry Tanner delivered an extra-large effort, emerging as the big cheese of the 18-hole event with a championship round of 51.8.

Even with the scramble factoring in handicaps, the Dominos squad fired the lowest scratch round on the day at 61.

They flipped positions in the final standings with the Willows at Willard team, which edged Dominos for the Chamber title in 2014. The Willows team of Todd Lillo, Karla Meisner, Fred Mock and Becky Wineman finished in second place on Wednesday, shooting a collective round of 52 (including a scratch score of 62, which tied with two other teams for the second-lowest scratch mark).

Included in that 62-scratch mix was the Sharpnack Ford team of Jason Cross, Aaron Luna, Craig Myer and Del Slauterbeck, which claimed third place at 52.6.

Schaffer-Danhoff posted a 56.8 score (63 scratch). That mark of 56.8 was matched by Local TV/Radio Shack.

The Willard Golf Club (57.1), the Huron County Sheriff's Office (57.8) and Winslow Appraisal (58.0) also shot sub-60 handicap rounds for positions eight through 10 in the final standings.

Sharpnack Chevy (62.5), Mercy Hospital (63) and the City of Willard (65.2) held spots 11-13, while the Mayor's Cup champion, with the highest round of the day, was a second entry by the Huron County Sheriff's office, as Dave Battles, Dane Howard, Josh Querin and Kayla Zander finished at 66.2.

They received the travelling trophy from Willard Mayor Todd Shininger.

"The outing went pretty well," said scramble chairman Dave Long. "We had 14 teams and everybody seemed to have a really good time. It was definitely soggy from all the rain we've had, but thanks to Bill (Pfefferle) and his crew, they had everything playable for us. We had to be careful where we went in some areas, but everything still went pretty well."

Mark Holden was the winner of the putting competition, which allotted each participant one attempt to convert or come closest to the cup from a specified mark on the putting greens.

A total of seven skins were shot on the day. The champion Dominos team tallied a pair, while Local TV/Radio Shack, Sharpnack Ford, Thornton-Harwood, Willard Golf Club and tourney runner-up Willows at Willard each notched one.

The Willard High School golf team also conducted their annual Skirts fundraising effort during the scramble. For a minimum $5 donation, men could wear a skirt and drive from the ladies' tees on specified holes. Long stated that the Crimson Flashes were able to generate $625.

All registered participants received a logo towel, a sleeve of balls and a ball marker.